Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-23
CIMARRON.
Petition Of Oven &. Chase for Admis>
sian TO the House Of Representa-
!iyes fr0m Would.bs Territory
Mr. Mills Wisely Suggests that There is q
Question of Facts for the House to
Investigate Before Acting.
Correspondence Of the Gszette.

Mr.. SpriDger-Mr. Speaker, | desire 20
present to the House OF representatives.
the petition Of Owen G. Chase, who
clsims to be elected delegate from the
territory of Cimarron. The petition will
eXplsin itself, and since 1t is not very
long l ask thrt il be read for the informa-
ton Of the House.
There being no objection, the petition
was resd as follows:
To the House CT REPRESENTATIVES CT the United
States:
The undersigned, . citizen of the Uni
ted States end q resident Of CimeTron
territory, commonly cslled "Tne Public
Land Strip" respectfully begs leave TO
snomit to the UOuse OF Representa- yes
that there are now ST least 10, 900 Ameri-
cen citizens VINO are bona tide settlers in
the said territory; that they are without
the protection Of local or general laws;
that they have been compelled by the ne
cessities Of their situation to establish,
ard they have established and ere main
tanning, q provisional government, by
and for the people, in form truly repU5
liCan, for their common protection, safety
snG welfare. The justification for the es-
tsblishment Of this government over a
part Of the public domain Of the United
I
q great community Of American citizens
otherwise without public law, the well
recognized obligation of self protection
and defense, and the lnalieneble right OF
local self government.
The public land strip was acquired
from Texas in 1850. IL is bounded on
the east by the Cherokee outlet, on the
south By the Panhandle OF Texas, on the
west by the Territory of New MEXICO, and
On the north by Colorado and Kansas.
1t contains 57GI squsre miles, or
1851, GSt acres of excellent agricultural
lands. II is well ws,eied with deep run
ming streams Of soft, fresh water. 1t
contains exbsus.less quarrieS of building
stone, marble, chalk. and bituminous
C al.
1t is natural fruit garden, where
grapes, plums, and other fruits grow
wild anG Of very superior quality. The
people are law loving and law abiding,
and will never consent 10 hsrOOr thieves
and desperadoes.
In November, 1886, q petition YVES Cir
culated and numerOdsly signed By lesd-
| ing citizens, appointing pu0llc meeting
10 convene AZ Beaver, November %, 1886.
| The meeting Was attended by large pro-
| portion OF the people, and i code of by
laws Wss adopted, and resolutions Unsni-
mcusly Endorsed appointing On election
to be held February %, 1887, to elect
nine cOuncilmen three from each meri-
! dian district, who should meet in Beaver
! March +, 1887, TO set as territorial
council and adopt such measures as in
| their Judgment, might seem best; and 10
organize some fCTn CT government.
At the app tinted time seven Il the line
! cOuGCilmen assem- b!ed, csnvGseed all the
| lection returns, anu i: appearing tina"
two councilmen lad been elected who
were ineligible, theig places were filed
by the selection OF the two receiving the
next highest number OF votes.
The council then organized By electing
| O 6. Chase president and Marrett Ma
gam IS secretary. TIE usual oath hav-
! Ing been taken, resolutions were st ouce
adopted dividing the territory into three
senatorial districts by meridian lines, and
| seven delegate districts by township lines;
aud another election ordered to come off
! November S, 1887 fer the election of nine
&c latorial counCilmen and fourteen dele
gate cOuncilmen from their respective
districts.
The first council passed laws or acts
regulating the rights OF matrimony, chat
| tel mortgages, mechanics liens, etc, all
| Of which have been duly respected and
epforced so far as made known.
! Such Publication OF the laws and 6cts OF
the territorial Legislature Wss made as
the best facilities OF the territory allowed.
Public schools have 6een established,
churches organized, and every possible
effort made By the people, in their primary
capacity, to prepare for legal territorial
government.
| At the election held 20 elect represen-
tative in Congress your petitioner re-
ceived msjority Of all the votes cost,
and the representatives to the senatorial
and legislative council were again elected.
Returns Of the second election, as will
be seen by the printed documents here
with submitte', were made to the score
tery Of the first cOurcil, win view Of
/ being csnvassed ~ tae iac3ming council
From the re'urLs made IN Tegu ar
form, eli on printed blsDks, it appears
tina The second election IVES conducted
regularly, and twenty three good rapFe-
sentative men were electeC-JiGe eena-
tors and fourteen delegates.
The new couEcil convened at Beaver
December ), 1887, and is therefore in ses
undersigned will be glad TO lay before
Congress its legislative actions for infor
nation.
The proceedings Leading up TO the ii IA
establishment Of this provisional govern.
ment were peaceful and orderly; were
participated in by, practically, all TIT
people, and at every step were marked BY
the sanction Of q voluntary oath to sup
port the constitution of the United
States. They are in perfect accord ant
harmony with the principles OF territorial
government uniformly sanctioned 81
Congress-, and are the patriotic and con-
scientious work OF laU.abiding people
devoted 10 the institutions OF their couD
try.
The formal record Of their proceeding g!
snd of the laws enacted by the provision
81 council has been duly kept and pub
Iished, and will be submitted hereafter.
In direct pursuance CT the will of The
people OF the territory, the undersigned
vas duly chosen as delegare to the Eff.
, tieth Congress, and ne here with presents
the certificate of his election, sttested By
the adopted seal CT said territory and the
signature of the territorial secretary.
Respectfully and humhly appealing fol
such recognition as the House of Repre-.
sentasiTes may DE grsciously Inclined tC
give to large body of respectable, pstri
otto and law-abidirg CITIZENS o: the UniteC
States struggling for order, liberty and
law, the undersigned submits, in their be-
mali and in their Uama, bis hope that he
NAV De permitted in the II 1use of Rapre